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Kani'olu

Cool Refreshing Sounds of Aloha

Kani'olu translates as sounds that are cool, refreshing, soft, pleasant, and graceful.

Kani'olu band members are Na Maka 'Alohilohi O Ka Lani (a.k.a. Marie-Therese Harris), Lorrin Ngum, Matt Harris, and Wayne Creekmore. The band has been playing together for more than 10 years. Matt is an accomplished guitar player, but usually plays either bongos or an ipu with the band. He's also picking up ukulele as well. Na Maka sings and plays rhythm on her Kamaka tenor ukulele. Lorrin sings and plays guitar (sometimes slack key), Wayne usually plays bass, but can also be seen picking up his baritone ukulele now and then.

Music

Kani'olu band members, as well as our 'ohana members, have quite a varied taste in music from the 1800's (traditional Hawaiian music), through to present-day popular songs. No musical genre or period is safe from our interest or instruments. The common denominator that ties us all together is a love of Hawai'i and its people, culture, dance, and music. This connection and love of Hawai'i affects the sound of all the music we play, from traditional Hawaiian mele to country and pop tunes.

Depending on the audience, venue, and occasion, we perform Hawaiian songs that are sung completely in the Hawaiian language, combine Hawaiian and English, or are in all English. We may perform songs written by Hawaiian composers as well songs in other genres such as country, blues, pop, and rock 'n roll. Not matter what the genre, we still deliver the Kani'olu sound.

Venues

Most of our performances are at venues where people are getting together to enjoy conversation and quite often—food. We adjust our performance volume levels so as not to compete with these social interactions. Our Hawaiian style of playing produces music that falls like a warm gentle rain upon our audience and not as a heavy storm. Clients and audiences alike appreciate our low key style and sensitivity to what is happening at the event.

Over the years Kani'olu has played in museums, bars, homes, restaurants, yacht clubs, parks, wineries, backyards, and even parking lots. We've played for birthdays, weddings, engagements, retirements, parties, celebrations, dinners, and even a wake. We've played for a handful of people and groups of up to 100 or more. We've performed as the focal point for events, but usually we are booked as environmental music.

'Ohana

All our band members have lived in Marin County, California, or the Bay Area for many years. The Hawaiian community in the Bay Area is well-connected and over the years Kani'olu has developed a wide variety of relationships with bands, singers, instrumentalists, and halaus (dance groups). Some of our close relationships are part of our band's 'ohana and we have listed them on our site. Kani'olu band members and our 'ohana members form a free-flowing pool of talent that can be reconfigured to match the needs of almost any venue. If you try to book Kani'olu and we cannot help you, rest assured we will try our best to find someone or group that can.

History

Kani'olu had its early beginnings in the late 90's when a few people started getting together every week to learn how to play ukulele, sing, hang out together, and eat. After a few years of getting together the kanikapila group had grown quite large. Three of the group decided to start a band and begin to practice more seriously. Na Maka and Wayne were in that original group. Over the next few years the band name changed a couple of times and band members came and went...except for Matt, who not only joined the band, but joined Na Maka in matrimony as well. In 2009 the band changed its name to Kani'olu. In 2011, Lorrin joined the band